Rebecca MacKinnon's postings about work, reading, and ideas from 2004-2011.

March 29, 2006

Hu Jia plans to sue his captors, day 35 for Hao Wu

AIDS activist Hu Jia's wife Zeng Jinyan reports on her blog that he was dropped off by police yesterday outside a shopping center about an hour's walk from his home on the outskirts of Beijing. In the 41 days of his detention he had no idea what was happening in the outside world. She says he returned exhausted, witha long beard. She took him to the hospital for a checkup in the morning and they found liver problems he hasn't had before. More tests, treatment, and follow-up will be needed. Meanwhile Reuters spoke to Hu Jia and here is an exceprt of the story:

Security police took him from his home and held him without any legal
formalities in two "vacation villages" on the eastern outskirts of
Beijing, never informing his family of his whereabouts, Hu told Reuters.

Hu said he was unbroken by the experience, which he said included a
month-long hunger-protest, roughing up, and sleepless nights. He said
he plans to sue the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau for
unlawful detention.

"I've always felt this life is like cat and
mouse, but I'm the cat," he said. "They're breaking the law and they
know it, and I'm going to sue them to show them and the world that
people can defend their rights."

Despite some nay-sayers who think publicity is counterproductive, it would appear that publicity did help bring about Hu Jia's release. When working in China in the 1990's, I covered the jailings and releases of quite a number of Chinese people detained or sentenced for political reasons - some of whom considered themselves dissidents and some of whom did not, like Hao. In all cases, people reported that outside attention seemed to have resulted in better or at least more careful treatment of them physically, as compared to other prisoners whose cases were unknown to the outside world. In many cases people got released right before a major U.S.-China summit. As it so happens, President Hu Jintao is coming to the U.S. for a summit on April 20th.

Will the public campaign to win Hao Wu's release work? The timing might
be right. Chinese President Hu Jintao will soon be visiting the U.S., a
trip that was supposed to take place last September but was put off
because of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. The Chinese government
very much wants this visit to go well, so the leaders might decide that
letting a lone blogger go free in the lead up to the summit might be an
easy way to score some points.

Comments

"In all cases, people reported that outside attention seemed to have resulted in better or at least more careful treatment of them physically, as compared to other prisoners whose cases were unknown to the outside world."

Torturers never work as efficiently in the light. There are certainly occasions when publicity is less valuable. But most of the time it is the one thing we can bring.

"She took him to the hospital for a checkup in the morning and they found liver problems he hasn't had before.

Hu said he was unbroken by the experience, which he said included a month-long hunger-protest, roughing up, and sleepless nights."

Now that is a piece of silver lining. Had he not been arrested, Hu would not have gone to the hospital and he wouldn't have found out that he has been having liver problems all along. It is unlikely that this liver problem resulted from the 45 day detention. So this new diagnosis could save his life in the long run.

A hunger protest will lead one to sleepless night because of stomach discomfort. So it looks like many of the pain was self inflicted.

I am surprised that he has received very mild treatment. In the United States, you could have left with a black eye and face as in the case of Zhao Yan: